VR is such a major step forward for games it's almost unfair, Sony says

Virtual reality technology like the PlayStation 4 headset Project Morpheus is such a radical step forward beyond the way traditional games work that it's "almost unfair," according to PlayStation Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida.

"We have something here that we've never experienced before," Yoshida said when asked by The Verge what he thinks the future of VR looks like. "Working on game development, we always try to create a new kind of experience, and having VR technology is almost unfair."

Developers can rapidly prototype new ideas -- and we have seen many compelling examples of unique VR experiences so far -- thanks in part to game engines like Unity, Yoshida said.

Also in the interview, Yoshida stressed that Sony does not have only a fleeting interest in the VR space. "For Sony Computer Entertainment, VR and Morpheus is one of the areas we are very excited about, like cloud gaming with PS Now, or other networked services," he said. "We're really focused on bringing that experience to consumers."

Project Morpheus, and competing headset Oculus Rift, remain in-development products with no word yet on when the final consumer models will be available. Yoshida said Sony is happy with the current iteration of the headset it has working now, but still has more revisions to make before it's ready to release. "There are many areas we can improve on to bring it to an even higher level," he said.

In addition, before Project Morpheus can come to market, Sony needs to have a full pipeline of software lined up. And this could be particularly challenging, Yoshida said, because making a game for VR and making a game for traditional consoles is quite different.

"Every developer who has started working on VR learns that they have to relearn what they have learned over the years of making games," he said. "A lot of tech and new assets can be used again, but the approach has to be pretty different. If the games or apps are designed poorly, it makes people sick, which is a really, really bad thing to have as an introduction."

Further, Yoshida said he envisions VR as more of a medium than peripheral. VR can have as dramatic an effect on the video game industry as 3D graphics cards did when they arrived two decades ago, he said. "The 3D graphics card had a huge impact, but developers are still learning how to use it in games like Grand Theft Auto or The Last of Us, twenty years after the launch of the PS1," he said.

Lastly, Yoshida stressed that Project Morpheus needs to be "affordable" when it's released or it won't ever catch on with a wide audience. Sony has not announced a price point for Project Morpheus, but we do know you won't have to spend $1,000 to buy one.

The Verge's interview with Yoshida was part of a much wider feature on VR in general. Be sure to check out The Verge's full story for more.

Some interesting words though it sounds like we'll have to wait a little while longer.

Last edited by Vyse; 08-26-2014 at 07:18.

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"As long as there are dreamers who have the courage to pursue their dreams, the world will have heroes. And as long as there is a thirst to discover the unknown, there will be new stories to tell...and new adventures to be had."

Playstation Move was a bit of a flop let's be honest, Kinect sure was the best motion sensor on the market! Can't wait to have my first go with VR though, Sony taking a step in the right direction with it by the sounds of it!

Curious what the Morpheus will be like. VR is the future, IF done correct.
Not sure what to think of it to be honest. I used an Oculus Rift dev kit 1, which was fun for a ibt, but the lack of demo's...

Just hoping that, if the Morpheus is a decent device, that there'll be proper support. Not like PS Move...

yeah, years ago (Kinect 1.0), before VR was cool, i called it the next big step after kinect. why don't i have a job at Sony? People here thought I was talking about voice recognition lol. VR is the ultimate future, we might start doing VR in different ways but what more possibly could we do other than virtually being there? maybe add touch, sense? Yeah but still VR.

Playstation Move was a bit of a flop let's be honest, Kinect sure was the best motion sensor on the market! Can't wait to have my first go with VR though, Sony taking a step in the right direction with it by the sounds of it!

If it wasn't for Project Morpheus, I would have already sold my PlayStation Move controllers! Glad I held onto them!

Yeah, no kidding. HL2 in VR with the Hydras is simply incredible. I haven't had a more immersive gaming experience in my life. Try it high or drunk and you'll completely forget you're not actually in another world. At times it can be really terrifying, and not in a "wow this is a scary game", but in a "holy $#@!, I'm seriously concerned for my life right now!". It's really intense.

I hope games like the P.T. are made for VR, and I'm sure they will be. But, at the same time, and based on my experience with my DK1 and DK2 and some of the scarier games and demos, I suspect some VR experiences will induce PTSD in some people. When you get that feeling of presence in VR, you're not really playing a game anymore, you're having an experience and the boundary between what's real or "not real" can get really fuzzy, frighteningly so sometimes.

Absolutely. Honestly, going back from VR can be really disappointing. Playing a racing game on my TV now feels...I don't know quite how to put it...it's hollow. There's this richness you get in VR that is simply not there on a traditional screen.

And it's strange how game experiences I have in VR have stuck with me...I keep saying this over and over, but it's like I've had this experience. I think there's going to be a lot of research on this now (How does the brain treat virtual experiences?), but my hunch is that my brain is treating a lot of VR experiences very closely to experiences I have out here in the real world. Some of the stuff I've done in HL2VR have stuck with me in a way that it just never has before, and HL2 is a game I've played a lot over the last decade.

i think i know what you mean, i'm a graphics nut...but not like it has to have the best graphics but i like living in the gaming worlds...like through imagination. we lose that when we grow up, i think i never did. i love role playing, i'll walk around in games like GTA 5 and sort of imagine what the game isn't doing...you know, it's fun, kind of like reading a book and imagining what the character would sound like to you.

so i can somewhat understand the feeling, i want to get into this once it's out on the PS4. i've always been a fan of VR but never had any real sort of peripheral that i could try (other than experimental stuff that i don't want).

i think for people who like to live in these games, it would be an immense experience.

i think i know what you mean, i'm a graphics nut...but not like it has to have the best graphics but i like living in the gaming worlds...like through imagination. we lose that when we grow up, i think i never did. i love role playing, i'll walk around in games like GTA 5 and sort of imagine what the game isn't doing...you know, it's fun, kind of like reading a book and imagining what the character would sound like to you.

so i can somewhat understand the feeling, i want to get into this once it's out on the PS4. i've always been a fan of VR but never had any real sort of peripheral that i could try (other than experimental stuff that i don't want).

i think for people who like to live in these games, it would be an immense experience.

The wonderful thing about VR is, you don't need cutting edge graphics to have a compelling experience. Some of the coolest experiences are more abstract and artistic in a way that doesn't require pushing the limits graphically.

That's good news for the consoles, as I see it. Going forward the PS4 and certainly the Xbox, if they even jump on the VR bandwagon, simply won't have the grunt to push the graphical limits in VR. And despite that, I think we'll see some really creative and immersive games on the PS4.

The wonderful thing about VR is, you don't need cutting edge graphics to have a compelling experience. Some of the coolest experiences are more abstract and artistic in a way that doesn't require pushing the limits graphically.

That's good news for the consoles, as I see it. Going forward the PS4 and certainly the Xbox, if they even jump on the VR bandwagon, simply won't have the grunt to push the graphical limits in VR. And despite that, I think we'll see some really creative and immersive games on the PS4.

In any case, I think every single one of us should tweet sony and demand that PM work on PCs. Why? Because it will not sell well against OR if it only works on PS4, but it will DESTROY OR if it works on PC too, and it will drive more PS4 sales because AFTER people try the PC VR games, they'll want to move onto more, and the PS4 will be there for them.

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"As long as there are dreamers who have the courage to pursue their dreams, the world will have heroes. And as long as there is a thirst to discover the unknown, there will be new stories to tell...and new adventures to be had."

All I can say is I can't wait for VR to come out. OR and PM are both going to revolutionize gaming. Like what was said earlier, racing games will never be the same, flightsims too.
I think games with Half Life 2 style graphics on PS4 is all that's needed to start things off. I remember when 3DFX was first released and to where we are now is amazing.

All I can say is I can't wait for VR to come out. OR and PM are both going to revolutionize gaming. Like what was said earlier, racing games will never be the same, flightsims too.
I think games with Half Life 2 style graphics on PS4 is all that's needed to start things off. I remember when 3DFX was first released and to where we are now is amazing.

i think VR will take off but to really make a big dent, someone really needs to come out with a VR console, i'm surprised nintendo didn't do that instead. i understand though, Wii U is a safe upgrade but i think VR could've been a better success that they've had with Wii U.

but i commend Nintendo for bringing motion controls in a way no one ever did and still hasn't. they really brought the peripheral craze that the industry was missing.

however with VR, we may see a small boost in support, we will likely see more abstract games support the device, especially if it's designed for the peripheral, we may not see heavy support until it's standardized like Nintendo standardized the wii remote.